14 Public Campaigns That Completely Backfired
These 14 public campaigns were designed to shine — but ended up crashing and burning spectacularly.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Public campaigns are often created with the best intentions in mind. Unfortunately, there are times when even the biggest names in their respective industries miss the mark. These 14 campaigns remind us that not all publicity is good publicity.
1. Pepsi – Kendall Jenner Protest Ad
Ja San Miguel on Unsplash
Pepsi attempted to align itself with social justice by featuring Kendall Jenner handing a soda to a cop during a protest. Instead of applause, the public roasted it for trivializing serious issues like police brutality.
2. McDonald’s – #McDStories
Janet Ganbold on Unsplash
Hoping to hear heartwarming tales, McDonald’s launched #McDStories on Twitter. What they got instead were horror stories about food poisoning and bad customer service.
3. Dove – “Real Beauty” Facebook Ad
rabbit-ice on DeviantArt
Dove encouraged women to compare their skin tone to a bottle of body wash on Facebook. The problem is that the ad unintentionally implied lighter skin was “cleaner” or “better.”
4. New Coke – Coca-Cola’s Recipe Change
Like_the_Grand_Canyon on Flickr
In 1985, Coca-Cola decided to change its beloved formula to “New Coke.” Consumers hated it so much that protests erupted across the country. After just 79 days, Coke reverted to the original recipe.
5. Bloomingdale’s – Holiday Catalog “Date Rape” Ad
Jonathan71 on Wikimedia Commons
Bloomingdale’s ran a holiday ad suggesting spiking a friend’s drink at a party. Audiences were stunned, calling the ad creepy and inappropriate. In an age of growing awareness around consent, it felt wildly out of touch.
6. Calvin Klein – #MyCalvins Campaign
Raysonho on Wikimedia Commons
Aimed at empowering youth, Calvin Klein’s #MyCalvins ads featured teens in sexualized poses. Instead of admiration, it drew accusations of promoting child exploitation.
7. Microsoft – Tay AI Twitter Bot
efes on Wikimedia Commons
Microsoft’s AI chatbot, Tay, was launched to engage with Twitter users. However, in less than 24 hours, trolls taught it to spew hate speech. Tay was taken offline almost immediately.
8. Heineken – “Lighter Is Better” Ad
Soliman Cifuentes on Unsplash
Heineken tried to highlight its low-calorie beer but aired an ad with the tagline “Lighter is better.” It showed a bartender sliding a beer past three Black individuals to a lighter-skinned woman.
9. Snapchat – Rihanna and Chris Brown Poll
Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash
Snapchat ran a poll asking users if they would “slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown.” The question referenced their past domestic violence case. Users were outraged at the tasteless joke.
10. Audi – Chinese Wedding Commercial
Ivan Bonadeo on Unsplash
Audi aired an ad in China comparing buying a car to inspecting a bride’s body at her wedding. Viewers were disgusted by the misogyny. The backlash was swift and brutal.
11. Peloton – 2019 Holiday Ad
Pierre Lecourt on Flickr
Peloton’s Christmas commercial featured a woman who received a bike from her husband and documented her “fitness journey.” Many felt it reinforced outdated gender roles and promoted body shaming.
12. Hyundai – Suicide Ad
@named_ aashutosh on Unsplash
To promote its emissions-free car, Hyundai aired an ad showing a man failing to commit suicide in his garage because the car emits no fumes. The disturbing content shocked viewers.
13. Burger King – “Women Belong in the Kitchen” Tweet
Kseniia Ilinykh on Unsplash
Burger King UK tweeted “Women belong in the kitchen” on International Women’s Day — intending it as a setup to promote culinary scholarships for women. But the shock-value opener sparked fury.
14. Kendall Jenner’s Fyre Festival Endorsement
Georges Biard on Wikimedia Commons
Kendall Jenner was paid $250K to promote the infamous Fyre Festival without disclosing it was an ad. When the festival fell apart, her involvement was criticized heavily.